NAKHON SI THAMMARAT, 25 February 2013 The Agriculture Ministry is urging rubber farmers, who have participate in the state-initiated subsidy program, to help maintain the stability of prices while instructing a probe into any irregular conducts by crooked producers.
Deputy Agriculture Minister Yuttapong Charasathien said on Monday that the government project initiated to help stabilize rubber prices is still continuing and acting as an alternative source of funds for rubber farmers.
Mr. Yuttapong stated that the project is operational across the country with sufficient cash to pay farmers, who wish to sell their products.
Concerning rubber supplies, which the government have earlier purchased from farmers and sold to foreign buyers, the Deputy Agriculture Minister said that the sales have been somewhat affected by the stronger US dollar, which has strengthened around 10% since the middle of December 2012.
He reckoned that without such an appreciation, Thai rubber would have fetched over 100 baht a kilogram now.
Mr. Yuttapong also asked rubber farmers in Thailand’s South to have faith in the government’s subsidy project and assured that those participated in the project will surely be paid for what they sell.
He went on to say that several southern provincial governors have submitted the details of alleged forgeries of farmers’ documents to sell rubber to the Agriculture Ministry, which has already passed everything on to the Department of Special Investigation. At the same time, the ministry has asked the Cooperative Auditing Department to look into similar issues reported from the Northeast.
